Bag multiple huts in one weekend in this quiet part of the Ruahine

PLUS: See the results from this week's poll and get the recipe for a perfect tramping snack!

January 21, 2026

Pohokura Station from Ikawetea to Taruarau Biv ridge. Photo: Brian Dobbie

The northern part of Ruahine Forest Park is remote and wild, and there’s a good chance you won’t see anyone else. On this weekend circuit, you can bag four huts and one biv.

Missed yesterday’s feature? We dropped our latest episode of our Wild Podcast listen here!

Quiz

Fiordland National Park is Aotearoa’s largest national park. Which is the second largest?

  • A. Tongariro National Park

  • B. Mount Aspiring National Park

  • C. Nelson Lakes National Park

  • D. Kahurangi National Park

Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…

This week in tramping history

Protestors risk their lives to save native Pureora forest

18 January 1978

Despite a decade of protests, chainsaws continued to snarl in the central North Island. Conservationists feared for the future of the kōkako as 1000-year-old tōtaras were felled. In early 1978 barefoot botanist Stephen King led the world’s first treetop protest.

To stop the felling of native timber, 14 activists sat on platforms in the trees. This brave protest gained massive media attention and the bulldozers backed off. The logging of native forest was finally halted in 1982.

Current Issue - Jan/Feb 2026

Recipe: Sweet or savoury popcorn

Popcorn makes a great tramping snack because it’s super quick and easy to make.

Photo: Izzie Thompson

Profile

  • Time: 10 minutes

  • Makes: 1 large bowl (about 10 cups)

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup popcorn kernels

  • 2 tbsp butter or neutral oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • For the cocoa-nut topping

  • 2 tsp cocoa powder

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • ¼ tsp allspice

  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

  • For the smokey curried seasoning

  • 2 tsp curry powder

  • ½ tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast

Method

Pack your selected dry seasoning ingredients into a small container or ziplock bag.

Heat two teaspoons of the oil/butter in a large pot (which has a snug-fitting lid) over a high heat. Add the popcorn kernels to the pot, cover with the lid and let the kernels cook (pop), shaking the pan frequently to stop the kernels sticking to the bottom. When the frequency of popping slows to three seconds between pops, turn off the heat, remove the pot and set it aside until the popping stops altogether.

Sprinkle the dry seasoning over the popcorn then drizzle with the rest of the oil (or butter – letting it melt in the popcorn’s heat), tossing until everything is well coated. Season with salt (and pepper if desired) and enjoy.

Featured Book

Treasures of Tane

This book discusses traditional Maori uses of native plants of the South Island and traditions around them. The book is engaging, enlightening and user-friendly and is beautiful to browse and informative about native plants.

Subscribers get a 10% discount.

Poll results

On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers to tell us what type of tramps they have you been on the most over the past year.

The results are in: 65% of you said day walks, 15% said overnighters and 20% said trips of three or more days.

Here is a selection of comments from readers:

“Usually twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday. Most tramps take about 4 hours which is enough for my 82 year old legs”

“Have done the Routeburn and the Hollyford track guided”

“Have been on all 3 but more day walks. Especially in the Waitakere Ranges.”

Quiz answer

Answer D - Kahurangi National Park

The 4,529km2 Kahurangi NP is Aotearoa’s second largest park.

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